Since the 1957 launch of Sputnik I kicked off the space age, our skies have steadily been filling up with artificial satellites. There are about 7,000 in orbit right now, with many more on their way. So, what exactly are we going to do with all that junk in outer space?

» Subscribe to Seeker! http://bit.ly/subscribeseeker (then hit the little 🔔 icon and select "all.")
» Watch more Elements! http://bit.ly/ElementsPlaylist
» Visit our shop at http://shop.seeker.com

While space may be a pretty big place, there is a finite limit to just how much stuff can safely be whizzing around the Earth. And believe me, there is already a lot of junk up there. Of those 7,000 or so satellites I mentioned, about 3,000 of them are defunct and not serving any purpose.

Some of them are huge, like ESA’s Envisat which is as big as a double-decker bus. There have been several close calls as dead satellites guided only by the hand of physics nearly collided.

NASA estimates there are more than 23,000 pieces of debris larger than 10 centimeters in orbit around the earth, and there are hundreds of millions more pieces smaller than that.

The worst case scenario was imagined by NASA scientist Donald J. Kessler back in 1978. The so-named Kessler syndrome is where more satellites like Cosmos and Iridium collide and the resulting debris creates a runaway chain-reaction that damages more satellites, creating more debris that ultimately renders low-earth orbit unusable.

#space #spacejunk #science #seeker #elements

Read More:
It’s Finally Time to Take Out the Space Trash
https://www.wired.com/story/its-final...
"On March 22, Astroscale, a Tokyo-based startup collaborating with Japan’s space agency, JAXA, launched a magnetic space trash picker-upper called the End of Life Services by Astroscale demonstration, or ELSA-d."

Earth's orbit is running out of real estate — but physicists are looking to expand the market
https://academictimes.com/earths-orbi...
"OneWeb and Amazon race to industrialize space with satellites, and in response, physicists are attempting to lay out safe and affordable options for expanding the market into medium Earth orbit, a much riskier arena."

Space Junk Removal Is Not Going Smoothly
https://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...
"As the congestion has grown, so too have close calls between orbiting assets. The International Space Station, for instance, regularly tweaks its orbit to avoid potentially hazardous debris."

Production Intern: Sally Gu
____________________

Elements is more than just a science show. It’s your science-loving best friend, tasked with keeping you updated and interested in all the compelling, innovative, and groundbreaking science happening all around us. Join our passionate hosts as they help break down and present fascinating science, from quarks to quantum theory and beyond.

Seeker empowers the curious to understand the science shaping our world. We tell award-winning stories about the natural forces and groundbreaking innovations that impact our lives, our planet, and our universe.

Visit the Seeker website https://www.seeker.com/videos

Elements on Facebook   / seekerelements  

Subscribe now! http://www.youtube.com/subscription_c...

Seeker on Twitter   / seeker  

Seeker on Facebook   / seekermedia  

Seeker http://www.seeker.com/